Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it-not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it-they will be blessed in what they do.
I have a mirror in my garage and I walk by it every time I go out to get in my husbands car. Apparently I have a habit of looking in that mirror, before we go out. Now, that is really just a habit, a perfunctory action meaning virtually nothing. I have no comb in the garage, no make-up, no tooth brush or even a cotton swab if I my mascara is smudged and I needed a touch up! All I can do is give myself a smile and appreciate all the hard work I did on this ‘look’ before I walked out the door.
This is not the way we should look at ourselves to be sure we look presentable on the outside…or especially on the inside! James, the brother of Jesus, gives us a good practical visual aid right here. When we examine our behavior and it does not line up with what God said in His Word, it is not a good idea to smile at yourself and jump in the car, and go. No, but when we look into the Word of God, and read it with intent, the words should pierce our hearts, revealing our insides. Remember, “the Word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than a two edged sword, cutting in and cutting out!” The Word exposes feelings and attitudes in our hearts that are sin, and do not belong there. The Word convicts us of bad habits that we have fallen back on, and good habits we have neglected.
When the nudge of the Holy Spirit occurs as you are reading, praying, or thinking about God, what do you do? Your response it key to your spiritual growth. When I walked by my garage mirror and took a look, having no tools available to fix anything, I was acting like the person in the scripture-forgetting what I looked like. Maybe I had smeared lipstick, too much blush, or even broccoli in my teeth (gross). That might result in a chuckle or an embarrassing moment, but not much more. If I read the Word and feel a convicting spirit when I read about gossip, rude or inconsiderate behavior, lack of giving or service, and I close the book, get into the car, and forget what I read, I have a big problem. God expects us to examine and improve our lives. He loves us enough not to leave us where we are at, but slowly steadily and surely reveals changes that we need to make to become more like Him. His response? We will be blessed, and blessed is a happy place to be.
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